Biking the Mississippi

Long time reader and commenter on transport, Joe W, forwarded us this curious news. Jim Muellner, took time out from his mission to ride across America, to cycle down the Mississippi River. From White Bear Lake in the north down to New Orleans. But Jim is no ordinary adventurer. He is the 70 year old inventor of the Smart Carte luggage carriers familiar at airports across the world. In more recent times he’s been designing bikes for the disabled. But now he has built recumbent water bikes to pedal down the Mississippi, with his nephew, Christopher. Hoping to make 60 miles per day, their first, against a head wind saw them only cover 29. (This ended up being close to their eventual average day of 33 miles) The original plan had them finishing tomorrow, 5 Sept. But it turned in to a much tougher slog than anticipated, and the pair pulled out in St Louis, after 660 miles (1062 km) and 23 days. Almost the weight in pounds that they between the two of them. Some pics of them setting out here. Via the Twin Cities.